Enchanted on the Mekong’s Emerald Harmony

Seafaring Oasis: Revitalising pool on the cruise.

Mike Yardley discovers the luxurious allure of the Emerald Harmony Star-Ship, offering a sensory journey through captivating landscapes and exceptional culinary delights.

River-cruising has become a byword for languid luxury afloat, drifting through storied waterways, edged by a roster of enticing ports of call. It had long been my dream to experience the enchantment of the Mekong River, one of Asia’s greatest bodies of water, a major liquid artery that snakes its way through half a dozen countries. Emerald Cruises operates a variety of itineraries on the Mekong, including their tantalising eight-day circuit between Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh.

When it comes to blending leisure, culture and exotic views, nothing beats a stylish cruise on the Mekong. And the spectacular Emerald Harmony Star-Ship is rightly billed as Asia’s most stylish river ship. The “new-ship smell” is unmistakable, as this sleek and glossy little princess has only been plying the water since December. Custom-built to cater to the Mekong’s dynamics, Emerald Harmony can sail right into the centre of Ho Chi Minh City. Comprising just 42 cabins with a guest capacity of 84, gracefully serviced by 40 staff and crew, the highly personable, ultra-attentive service level is incomparable.

My panorama balcony suite featured an enormous retractable window which accentuated the immersive sensation of drifting by the ever-changing kaleidoscope of river life. Let the scenery come to you! My cloud-comfortable suite was crowned with the most opulent en-suite bathroom I have ever experienced on water, without the need to access the shower sideways! My travel companion works in real estate and was constantly impressed with just how thoughtfully designed every space on the ship had been ingeniously crafted.

Despite the boutique nature of this ship and its blissfully small passenger capacity, Emerald Harmony certainly doesn’t skimp on guest amenities, with a stylishly-designed bar and lounge area, heavenly spa and wellness area with top-of-the-line gym facilities and complimentary guest laundry. What a godsend that is, in this sticky, sultry part of the world! There is the magnificent sun deck, lined with loungers, to catch a river breeze or fireball sunset; the revitalising pool deck; and best of all the culinary wizardry of Reflections Restaurant.

From buffet breakfasts and lunches to decadent five-course à la carte dining, Reflections is the ship’s crowning jewel, a chic open-plan restaurant that magics up the most spectacular menus, celebrating the sense of place and the sensory joy of travel. Comfort food staples are accompanied with supreme culinary adventure, dipping deep into Vietnamese, French and Cambodian cuisine. You’ll be glad the ship is endowed with a decent gym to help burn off the calorie overload.

I’m still in awe of the profusion of dishes that were executed with such precision, flair and flavour, from such confined working quarters. Throughout the cruise, a rich variety of themed culinary presentations studded the dining roster, full of discovery, from a Cambodian Market Fair Food Lunch, which included the rather confronting opportunity to have a munch on crickets and tarantula, to the French-fusion, Taste of Asia and Indochine dinners. Every menu sang with delectable specialties, from green mango salad to caramelised fish in claypot.

Dining is unfailingly a five-star affair.  Adjoining the Horizon Bar & Lounge, the dark timbered tones and muted riverine hues of the Lotus Lounge is another inviting space to relax and natter with your fellow guests. Other highlights included a Taste of Asia night, where the endearing crew adorned local traditional costumes from Vietnam and Cambodia and lavishly presented us with trays of local snacks and signature drinks like rice wine. One night a group of highly talented Vietnamese villagers boarded the ship to perform a traditional Lion Dance Show, while a troupe of Cambodian children joined us for a thrilling dance and music performance.

Afloat a ribbon of nation-hopping water, the scenic medley of this river cruise could illuminate a library-load of National Geographic magazines. In between the wonderful shore excursions, I loved watching the slumping sun give the Mekong a goodnight kiss from the Sun Deck, as cheerfully waving children paddled back to their rustic riverbank houses with freshly-caught fish.

I would wake up early and head outside in the balmy dawn calm, serenaded by frisky bird calls and the soft chug-chug-chug of motorboats. Towering pagodas pierced the skyline amid the jungle greens. I was constantly left agog at the sheer variety of freight passing by on lumbering river barges, and routinely amused by the skipper’s laundry hanging out to dry on the back deck. The frequent sight of floating gas stations edging the riverbank seemingly posed as sentinels to reinforced the importance of this vast liquid highway and its lifeblood stature for tens of millions of residents.

Revel in the serene charm and style of Emerald Harmony on a seven-night Majestic Mekong river cruise, between Ho Chi Minh City and Phnom Penh. It’s an enchanting, stress-free way to savour a truly remarkable pocket of the world. Book direct at www.emeraldcruises.co.nz